Arbitron announced it has released the Fall 2007 radio market populations and rankings (see graphics, below) and also highlighted some demographic changes, including Boston’s move into the top 10, supplanting Detroit. Among the changes Arbitron points to:
- Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill is now in the top 25. A Metro re-definition has had a major impact on the size of the market. The new Metro will be almost 30% larger than the old one. With Charlotte ranked number 25, Riverside-San Bernardino has fallen to number 26.
- Atlanta moves ahead of Washington, DC. The Atlanta area is growing rapidly. In the Census Bureau’s annual population estimates, the estimate of growth for the Atlanta area has been increased this year. The Census Bureau did so last year, as well. For two years in a row the Census Bureau has increased the rate of growth since 2000 for all of the counties in the Atlanta Metro.
- Boston tops Detroit, which is now ranked number 11. A slight decline in the Detroit estimate, coupled with a slight increase in the Boston estimate, has placed Boston at market rank 10 and Detroit at 11. However, the difference between the two Metros is only 8,100 persons 12+: that is, about 0.2% of each Metro’s population.
- Post-Katrina impact reflected in New Orleans estimates. As the Metro recovers from hurricane Katrina, the population estimate has grows 7.5%, and the Metro’s new rank is 55.
- Mississippi estimates reduced. The Census Bureau’s estimate of growth in Mississippi, and in most Mississippi counties, was reduced. The lower estimate is not necessarily an indicator of a one-year loss in population; rather, it’s a revision to the population growth since the last Census (2000). The revisions are most notable in the estimates for Jackson, MS and Biloxi-Gulfport-Pensacola.
The full population rankings are available here (pdf).